396.1 GE/6–1654: Telegram

The Secretary of State to the United States Delegation1

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priority

Tedul 212. From your Dulte 1872 it is evident that “underground military talks”, even more than conference proceedings, are pointing toward de facto partition under conditions such that Communist takeover of all Vietnam looms ahead clearly.

Chauvel’s mention of difficulty of “selling” Vietminh proposal to Vietnamese and his doubt that Hanoi-Haiphong area can be held indicate to us that French may end by accepting any Vietminh proposition which offers hope of extricating Expeditionary Corps. In this connection we note failure of Vietminh thus far to react to French question regarding evacuation French troops and citizens and Vietnamese Catholics.

There can of course be no question of US participation in any attempt to “sell” a partition to non-Communist Vietnamese.

Dulles
  1. Drafted by Sturm of FE/PSA.
  2. Dated June 16, p. 1154.